Victimization of Women A. Scope of the Problem

Scope of Problem 28 percent of female college students experienced some act that met the legal definition of rape. Over the duration of a marriage, about 28% of couples will be involved in violence between spouses. Battering results yearly in more injuries that require medical treatment than rape, auto accidents, and muggings combined. 21% of women workers reported being the victim of some form of sexual harassment at work. In a sample of 500 college women, 22% identified themselves as being victims of at least one incidence of child sexual abuse.

Victimization of Women B. Models

Pathology of the Perpetrator Masculine ideologies and need for power. –Meta-analysis (Murnen et al., 2002). History of abuse or witnessing of abuse –(e.g., Christopher, Lutz-Zois, & Reinhardt, 2007; Daigneault, Hebert, & McDuff, 2009; Walker, 2000).

If you could be assured that no one would know and that you could in no way be punished for engaging in the following act, would you 1.Rape a woman? 2.Force a woman to do something sexually that she really didn’t want to do?

Victim Precipitated Examples within psychology. Reasons.

A Culture of Victimization Sexual victimization occurs in a social context in which there exist a male dominated power structure. Studies on gender inequality and rates of sexual assault. –Pazzani (2007). –Yodanis (2004). Sexual Terrorism (Sheffield). Violent tactics are used against women in order to frighten them into submission. The ultimate goal is domination and control.

Components of “Sexual Terrorism:” Ideology –The ideology of sexual terrorism is patriarch or rule by the father. Propaganda –This ideology is disseminated in all expressions of popular culture such as films, television, music, literature, advertising and pornography. –Also takes the form of rape myths. Three types (Koss, 1994). Implications of rape myths (Krah & Berger, 2009).

Components of “Sexual Terrorism:” Amorality –The perpetrator believes that such expressions of violence against women are normal. Voluntary Compliance –An elaborate system of sex-role socialization practices that instruct women to be passive victims.